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What parts of your computer should an antivirus program protect?

I just got off the phone with mcafee and they couldn't detect a virus, so I showed the rep my browser and how it was being hijacked. They offer a money-back guarantee that they will find and remove viruses. She said they don't cover browser problems And I'd have to pay for their tech support. I said it wasn't a "browser problem." I have a virus that takes over every browser, and I've already deleted and reinstalled my browsers. There's a file on my system that deploys and hijacks the browsers. 

Apparently not, because if my PC had a virus, their service would alert me. Never mind that she could see the hijack in progress while McAfee was running. Nope. Their service works fine. 

Am I missing something? If the computer is not infected, and the hijack occurs on a clean browser- no extensions, add ons, nothing, what else could it be but a virus? And, if this isn't what McAfee does, what exactly does their service protect you from? O_o

Posted - February 6, 2017

Responses


  • McAfee is pure garbage.   The worst out there.  Even McAfee himself said it was garbage and shouldn't use it. It's a giant resource/memory hog and has terrible detection rates. It's almost worse than nothing at all since it provides a sense of security when there isn't really much of one and is mostly just bloat on your machine.

    Ideally an antivirus service should cover all aspects of a machine and include adware, trojans, hijacks, and spyware.   Many however say those forms of maleware aren't true viruses.
      February 6, 2017 4:19 PM MST
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  • 6124
    She's giving you a garbage explanation because a) she doesn't know what she is talking about or b) she is paid to convince you that you aren't covered & you must spend more money to get help.  

    Yes, you have been infected with malware (yes, a virus) that is hijacking your browsers and there may be something more that it is doing to your hard drive that you haven't detected yet.  Yes, I believe they should be covering this free of charge.  But, what you and I think doesn't matter. They don't think it's their responsibility.

    Do you have a local computer guy/techie that you buy your computer(s) from or bring your computer to when it crashes or there are problems?  If so, call him.  If not, find one.  He/she will get your problem resolved quickly. Of course, it will cost you something for his time (probably an hour's labor) but it won't be any more than what McAfee will try to squeeze you for. And, more importantly, how much is YOUR time worth?  He/she more than likely has dealt with the virus and has the patch to fix it, whereas you will be spending hours on the phone with McAfee trying to find someone who can help you without any guarantee they will fix it.  

    It's worth the investment to avoid the headaches.  Also, your time is better spent elsewhere.   
      February 6, 2017 4:34 PM MST
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  • 508
    You're probably gonna have to do a clean install of your OS.. that would be the best option for you at this point. an AV should protect the whole of the operating system but it fails sometimes.. but don't go with norton or mcafee next time because they are the worst products on the market (both are absolute junk in every way and not worth a penny).. This post was edited by Skunky Stinkerson at February 7, 2017 1:31 PM MST
      February 6, 2017 4:34 PM MST
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  • You obviously have picked up malware in the form of spyware or a trojan somewhere that McAfee can't detect because it's stuck in there real good, it sounds like. Best thing to try next is to go Skunky's route and then install Webroot and rid yourself of that clunker AV that you have.
    Second choice is to let those people I told you about, go through it and clean it out but you don't want to spend the money and a Tech will charge you even more.
    Third choice is to go look at a decent ASUS Laptop and start fresh. Data transfer is easy also. I would call a couple of PC repair shops and check with them for a clean unit. That way you won't get all the junk like you would with one bought from a store.
    Something to think about as it looks like that's your only option.
    A decent AV should protect you from 99% of the junk that tries to come through. Malwarebytes will get anything else. This post was edited by Benedict Arnold at February 7, 2017 1:31 PM MST
      February 6, 2017 5:41 PM MST
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  • There are free Antivirus apps you can download then burn on to a cd... you then turn off the computer and then reboot it from the cd ... all major  AV manufacturers supply them on their Web sites ... the advantage  of this approach is the virus can't start and protect itself when Windows starts because you are booting from the cd ... and that's often a linux operating system... the cd will scan your computer and the virus won't be active so it can't protect itself ... try this approach first .. it's free and effective ... good luck This post was edited by Benedict Arnold at February 7, 2017 1:32 PM MST
      February 6, 2017 6:09 PM MST
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  • 508
    i know exactly what you're talking about,  Kaspersky has a bootable rescue program that you can download  on a USB stick.. when you restart your computer it boots up into a safe mode type of thing so the malware doesn't have a chance to start.  Kaspersky scanner scans your computer for the malware. https://support.kaspersky.com/4162 This post was edited by Skunky Stinkerson at February 7, 2017 1:32 PM MST
      February 6, 2017 8:54 PM MST
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  • I suggested she boot from a linux live cd and remove it from there.
      February 7, 2017 12:52 AM MST
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  • 22891
    it should be protecting all of it
      February 8, 2017 10:43 AM MST
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  • 952
    all software parts including your browser. Did you consider changing your anti virus service provider?
      February 8, 2017 11:51 AM MST
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  • 7939
    I did after this.
      February 8, 2017 4:42 PM MST
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  • 952
    I hope you got rid of that trouble now!
      February 9, 2017 12:11 PM MST
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